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Man Utd Vs Liverpool Is A Fascinating Contest

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4 years ago

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Manchester United’s fascinating home game on Monday night pits them against a Liverpool side where manager Jurgen Klopp has problems which almost match those of Erik Ten Hag.

Both sides are looking for their first win of the season. Training has been difficult for Liverpool this week with injuries mounting up.

Klopp said, “The week was crazy. It was like we had a witch in the building. Every day somebody else pulled out for the craziest reasons.”

We were all surprised when Klopp introduced Nat Phillips to play alongside Virgil van Dijk against Palace. He did well after Joe Gomez picked up an injury in training and could only play off the bench in the second half. Joel Matip will be out for another couple of weeks and Ibrahima Konate is likely to be out for a while longer. Trent Alexander-Arnold is not in particularly good form but I understand both he and Andy Robertson will play against United with Kostas Tsimikas coming off the bench. Klopp is aware that Cristiano Ronaldo will likely play for United despite all the problems surrounding him and Van Dijk will be given the job of containing the Portugese, particularly in the air. In midfield Harvey Elliott was very good against Palace and he will retain his place however Naby Keita is pressing for a starting role and he is likely to replace James Milner for either the whole match or at least part of it. Klopp, like Ten Hag, has problems in attack. Salah and Diaz will certainly start but Jota’s hamstring injury rules him out and Nunez’s red card means he misses the next three matches. That is a positive for United and Liverpool’s medical team have been working hard this week to get Bobby Firmino fit so they have a strong attacking three against United’s fragile defence. 

The toxic atmosphere spilled over to Manchester United’s training camp again this week. After the disastrous thrashing by Brentford Ten Hag called the players in early each day and started by playing videos of Liverpool, picking apart their strategies and player positions during each match they have played so far. Ten Hag’s problem is that he does not know and cannot guess accurately how Liverpool will line up because of the injuries at Anfield. One thing is sure, Ten Hag was horrified at how new Ajax £50million signing Lisandro Martinez was turned inside out by Brentford and his 5ft 9in frame was bullied by the opposition forwards. Ten Hag knows that playing him against Diaz could be disastrous and it is his biggest problem after his weak attacking line. That is one reason Ten Hag is thankful Nunez will not be on the pitch however Raphael Verane is being pencilled in to bring stability to the backline. Verane is viewed as the best defender at the club and despite his injury problems this season he could answer some of United’s defensive problems. United have a far better record with him in the team. Despite Verane’s lack of fitness and Martinez’s poor performance, Ten Hag is considering dropping Harry Maguire and making Verane and Martinez his two central defenders however I know for sure that Ten Hag is an admirer of Maguire and is considering this option very carefully.

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With the towering presence of Van Dijk in the Liverpool defence, Ten Hag has to improve his midfield and the quality of balls fed into the Liverpool penalty area. Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen, who will be moved forward in a more attacking role, will be crucial in placing precise balls from deep play into the Liverpool backline which Ronaldo thrives on. Fred is fast but constantly being outplayed and McTominay is below form. Sancho will be important for United and he needs to feed balls to Rashford and Ronaldo and this is the way they have trained this week…United are strong on the counter-attack. They need to be patient and organized which has been another main aspect of training. They must defend as a unit and not play as individuals which often happens. Without doubt United’s best chance is to drive at pace from the counter-attack…they are very good at it and Liverpool will be vulnerable. 

Gerrard has big problems in defence 

I contacted Aston Villa regarding the injury to Diego Carlos and the news is not good. Carlos, who joined Villa from Sevilla for £26million has ruptured his achilles tendon. He left Villa Park on crutches and on Monday had an MRI scan which revealed the damage. Surgery is inevitable and Carlos could be out of action for six months. Manager Steven Gerrard has a problem at the back with Kortney Hause also on the injury list which means he has only three senior centre halves in contention for a place: Tyrone Mings, Ezri Konsa and Calum Chambers. Gerrard has expressed that he is “extremely worried” about the injuries at the club.

Manchester City have come up with the perfect way of keeping their star players. Barcelona have been trying to unsettle Bernardo Silva so they can bid for him. Knowing that Barca have financial problems, City have placed a value of £80million on the midfielder which the Spanish giants could not possibly afford to pay. City travel to Barcelona to play a charity friendly this coming week and Silva will play to demonstrate that he is very much are part of Pep Guardiola’s starting eleven. 

Chelsea still want Everton’s Anthony Gordon 

Chelsea are going to review their offer for Everton midfielder Anthony Gordon despite being rejected twice by The Toffees management. Everton manager Frank Lampard admits he must not lose Gordon who is essential to his plans and with the season just beginning results are not going their way. I understand that the only way Gordon could end up at Stamford Bridge is through a possible deal which would involve bringing in two Chelsea players: Billy Gilmour and Armando Broja. Newcastle and Tottenham made approaches for Gordon a month ago but Everton offered him a new improved contract which has not been signed as yet. 

Werner and Lukaku make winning starts 

Timo Werner scored on his return to RB Leipzig in his first game in the Bundesliga. Romelu Lukaku had a good game and scored for Inter Milan during his first game back in Italy in Serie A. It is interesting that they couldn’t score in the Premier League with any certainty and yet they hit the ground running in returning to their roots. What this proves conclusively is that the Premier League is a far tougher test than other European Leagues. Opinion: Managers should be able to comment on refs It always amazes me that players and managers are not allowed to comment on the conduct and quality of referees after a match. Thomas Tuchel is the latest to face possible financial penalties and a touchline ban for saying he believes Anthony Taylor should not be allowed to referee any more Chelsea matches after some highly controversial decisions. The FA takes a very dim view of a manager expressing his thoughts. Two things come to mind in my view…firstly in the UK we have a constitution which champions freedom of speech so who are the FA to overrule a basic right and secondly isn’t it interesting that Tuchel’s view has been supported by more than a hundred thousand people who have signed a petition which carries the same message as Tuchel?

Daily Trust

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Asian Games Organisers Apologise After Blunder Broadcasts North Korean Anthem for South Korea

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13 minutes ago

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September 18, 2026

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Asian Games Organisers Apologise After Blunder Broadcasts North Korean Anthem for South Korea

A mistaken stadium audio track following South Korea’s 5-0 hockey win over Bangladesh triggers protests amid wider logistical issues in Japan.

Organisers of the Asian Games in Japan issued a formal apology on Friday after mistakenly playing the North Korean national anthem for South Korea’s men’s hockey team.

The embarrassing mix-up occurred shortly after South Korea secured a commanding 5-0 victory over Bangladesh, leaving players standing perplexed on the pitch as the wrong national anthem echoed through the stadium speakers.

Following the initial blunder, venue operators played the national anthem of Bangladesh before finally broadcasting South Korea’s proper anthem, prompting a stadium announcer to issue an immediate apology over the public address system.

However, South Korea coach Min Tae-seok condemned the oversight as an inexcusable operational failure. Min stated that while tournament officials blamed an individual operator for selecting the wrong audio file, an international competition must never tolerate errors of such sensitive political magnitude.

Furthermore, the anthem blunder compounds wider operational difficulties facing Japanese host venues ahead of Saturday’s official opening ceremony. Several delegations have voiced strong frustration over logistical arrangements, with visiting teams reporting airport delays lasting up to six hours.

In addition, members of South Korea’s basketball squad published videos showing water pouring from broken pipes into their athlete village rooms, intensifying pressure on local organisers to resolve village infrastructure and technical coordination before mainstream competitions begin.

Asian Games Organisers Apologise After Blunder Broadcasts North Korean Anthem for South Korea

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Osimhen Is ‘One of the Best Strikers in the World’ – Terim

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1 hour ago

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September 18, 2026

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Osimhen Is ‘One of the Best Strikers in the World’ – Terim

Victor Osimhen has received another major endorsement after former Galatasaray boss Fatih Terim described him as one of the best strikers in world football.

Terim said Osimhen’s combination of strength, finishing ability and movement makes him a difficult player for defenders to contain.

He particularly pointed to the striker’s ability to punish opponents immediately when they make mistakes.

“Even when there’s no scoring opportunity, he can score goals” Terim said. “He’s a striker who earns his own living the hard way.”

Terim, however, identified one area Osimhen needs to manage, advising the Nigerian to avoid unnecessary emotional reactions and psychological tension during matches.

Six Goals Before Injury

Osimhen had already made an impressive start to the new campaign before injury interrupted his run.

He recorded six goals and two assists across four Süper Lig appearances for Galatasaray.

His latest goal came in Galatasaray’s 3-2 win over Istanbul Basaksehir, although he was forced off in the 33rd minute with a groin problem. The club later confirmed a strain in his right adductor muscle.

He has nevertheless been included in Nigeria’s squad for the opening 2027 AFCON qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.

Osimhen Is ‘One of the Best Strikers in the World’ – Terim

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Mbappé Targets 2026 Ballon d’Or, Wants Trophy Back at Real Madrid

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3 hours ago

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September 18, 2026

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Mbappé Targets 2026 Ballon d’Or, Wants Trophy Back at Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappé

Mbappé Targets 2026 Ballon d’Or, Wants Trophy Back at Real Madrid

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé has made clear his ambition to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, saying he wants the prestigious individual award to return to the Santiago Bernabéu and give Real Madrid supporters another reason to celebrate.

The France captain stated this in an interview with Spanish sports newspaper AS, as preparations intensify for the presentation of the Ballon d’Or 2026 in London next month.

Mbappé said he wants the trophy back at the Bernabéu and with Madrid supporters, while also acknowledging the quality of other players competing for the award.

The comments came days after the 27-year-old said he believed he could win the award despite Real Madrid and France failing to secure major team trophies during the 2025/26 season.

Mbappé’s individual statistics form a major part of his case. He scored 25 goals in La Liga and 15 in the UEFA Champions League during the 2025/26 campaign. He also scored 10 goals at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he won the Golden Boot.

His World Cup campaign also produced a major individual milestone. Mbappé took his career tally at the tournament to 22 goals, moving past Lionel Messi to become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history.

France, however, failed to reach the final after losing to Spain in the semi-final, while Real Madrid ended the season without a major trophy.

That has generated debate over the importance of team success in the Ballon d’Or selection, but Mbappé has maintained that the award recognises individual performance.

The French forward has pointed to his achievements in the Champions League, La Liga and World Cup as evidence of his individual contribution and has maintained that the absence of major team silverware should not automatically rule him out.

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Mbappé’s latest comments further underline his determination to become the first Real Madrid player since Karim Benzema to win the men’s Ballon d’Or. Benzema claimed the award in 2022.

The French forward joined Real Madrid in 2024 after leaving Paris Saint-Germain and has since become one of the club’s principal attacking figures.

His Ballon d’Or ambitions will be tested against a field of 30 nominees announced for this year’s men’s award.

The shortlist includes defending winner Ousmane Dembélé, Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi, PSG’s Vitinha, Arsenal’s Declan Rice, Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and several other leading players from European and international football.

Real Madrid has four players on the men’s shortlist: Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham and Marc Cucurella.

Mbappé has also spoken positively about Yamal, despite the Barcelona teenager being another prominent name in this year’s individual-award discussion.

The Real Madrid forward has maintained respect for his fellow nominees while making it clear that his personal objective is to take the trophy to Madrid.

The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled for October 26 at the London Palladium Theatre in England. The event will mark the 70th anniversary of the award, which was created by France Football in 1956. UEFA and France Football have jointly organised the award since 2024.

The winner will be selected through an international voting process involving specialist journalists representing countries from across the FIFA rankings.

The 2025 Ballon d’Or was won by Dembélé after his performances for Paris Saint-Germain.

For Mbappé, this year’s contest provides another opportunity to add the individual honour to an already decorated career.

His campaign has combined prolific domestic scoring, a strong Champions League record and a historic World Cup scoring achievement. However, the final result will depend on the voting process involving all the shortlisted players.

For now, Mbappé has publicly stated his objective: to win the Ballon d’Or 2026 and bring the trophy back to Real Madrid and the Bernabéu.

Mbappé Targets 2026 Ballon d’Or, Wants Trophy Back at Real Madrid

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